Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-04

back by the next New Year. Ishall
hasten everything for your sake.''
She went to a sleepless bed that
night. In the morning after her ia
Their glass showed her the Chevalier
far out at sea. For many days she
went about heavy hearted. Her moth
er watched and pitied her and her own
heart bled afresh.
But youth is the season OF hope
and love is its twin, and as the
months OF that Spring and Summer
went by, the girl felt more and more
as though she were only enduring q
brief probation to lifelong happiness.
News had reached her Of the Cnevalier
and her beloved. First came letter
from Rio, full Of love and promlse;then
an incoming whaler reported speak
ing the Chevalier in The far South
Atlantic, and that all On board were
well, aud then q letter from Lima. All
was we'll, time was flying, the promised
time Tor thereunion was approaching
There is rarely, yet sometimes,
New England Autumn when the mel
low Indian Summer is prolonged from
November far into December and the
yearfades away in days OF yelled sun
shine; when nature seems in a dream
and Winter is held back by some
strange spell. Down to the first day
OF January there was neither snow
nor frost; a silvery mist sat upon the
sea; the days were like May days, but
with a softened tempered sum-. the
nights were balmy and glorious. AS
Thankful and her mother sat outside
the cottage they could see lights from
the town and the bay. The sounds OF
laughter and talking came up to them;
everything seemed under a SPELL.
So it was on that New Years Eve.
They sat there late talking of the
dead-of the absent-hardly daring
to talk OF the future. The night was
bright and starlight; everything was
visible, yet indistinct. At that place
and time nobody had been abroad for
an hour. All were at home keeping
New Years Eve. Just then Thankful
directed her mothers attention to a
figure advancing slowly up the slope
toward the cottage.
"Where?" asked Mrs Benson. II
don't see it,"
"Why, there2" said Thankful, with
outstretched finger. otis q man.
He's coming this way. He-he looks
like Jack"
She started up and advanced to.
meet him. Mrs. Benson strained her.
eyes, but could see nothing like a. hui
man figure. She saw Thankful ad-
vance q few PAGES, stretch out her
arms as If to- embrace some one, and
then fell senseless to the ground.
When Mrs. Benson carried her in
and revived her, she started up and
cried for Jack.
my dear child, be calm!" said the
mother. "He is not here. He has
not been here"
eyes, was! Isaw him. al
most touched him. He came close up
to rne-and then he disappeared and
l could not see him.
The mother looked at her with grief
s.nd awe:
ttDear Thankful" she said with deep
solemnity, 'tbe strong-cast your bur
den on the Lord-and bear your grief
as / have borne mine. You have not
seen John Sturdy; you have seen his,
double. You will never see him again."
For the next year their lives went On
that possesses those whose only hope.
In this world is reft away. Mother and
dang liter drew closer together in their
conapanionship OF bereavement. Life
for them was all in the past; their
present comfort was merely that OF
ministering angels to the sick and af-
ficted, and thus to
LEARN the luxury of doing good"
The only news that had been receiv-
ed from the Chevalier was darby con-.
firmatory OF the vision that Thankful
had seen. One OF the boats had been
found floating in the South Pacific.
empty and oarless. A ship wrapped
In fire from stem to stern had been
sighted afar off in those waters where.
help could not be extended or inquiry
made
They lived on during that year, and
sorrow grew old and was still as dark
as ever. Their neigh bors condoled with
them, and hoped that the time would
come when grief would be Gained, and
that life might yet have somepleasure
for these afflicted ones. Would that
time ever come to Thankful? Not,
surely, at such time as this, when
the New Year was again at hand It
could bring no hope or promise to
her; but the time AS long as sheshould
live, must be in her mind associated
with his last words to hex, Expect
me back by the next New Year, I shall
hasten everything for your sake"
It was very different New Years
Eve from the last. The harbor was
locked in ice; snow covered the
ground; the air was stinging with
frost. A clear sound of bells from the
town, as the New Year was gleefully
rung in, came up to them as they sat
by their fire. No speech had passed be.
tween them for an hour. As the last
peal of the bells died away, Mrs. Ben
son said: -. =
ut is all hard to bear, Thankful.
We must learn to bear" .l
The girl started up with clasped
hands, and passionately exclaimed! =.
but never to see him again----though
I may live for fifty years! can't on
du1e the thought. He came to me
once after death-why not AGAIN." y
s The door noiselessly Enclosed and
admitted q moving figure. It advanc-
ed toward them; they looked at the
face, spell bound. It was pale, wan.
wasted, but it bore the likeness Of
John Sturdy. s.s8s. 5s..s ].
No womanly fright, no terror of the
supernatural possessed Thankful IN
that moment. Glad TO have seen his
face again in answer to her appeal,
her loving, yearning heart hungered
for something more than his shad ow.
She started toward him -she opened
wide her arms to him. 81.
10. John. = she askid. fif3on't DC, ~